Editorial | Why is Memphis VA still among the worst?

"Our staff are fully engaged in improving our Veterans’ experience and our hospital is far safer in every aspect than we were one, two or three years ago," Memphis VA Medical Director David K. Dunning said last week.(Photo11: Jim Weber / The Commercial Appeal)Buy Photo

That despite the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announcement in January that it was taking "an aggressive new approach to produce rapid improvements at VA’s low-performing medical facilities nationwide."

That despite the fact that the chairman of the powerful U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee is Phil Roe, Republican from Tennessee, a physician and Army veteran.

That despite the recent progress made by VA medical centers in Nashville and Murfreesboro, which were upgraded this year from one-star to two-star ratings.

The VA began releasing its annual quality ratings (1-5 stars) to the public in 2016 -- and only after USA TODAY obtained and published them for the first time in 2016. The VA then committed to posting them annually.

The only highly rated (four stars) VA medical center in the state of Tennessee happens to be in Johnson City, where Roe lives, the area he represents in Congress and the city he led as mayor.

"As the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and the Congressman representing West Tennessee veterans who seek care at the Memphis VA Medical Center, we are concerned and outraged by the recent abysmal failures at the Memphis facility," Roe and U.S. Rep. David Kustoff of Memphis wrote in a joint guest column published in this newspaper more than a year ago.

"We are encouraged to see swift action from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to get the Memphis facility on track -- and will continue to closely monitor progress."

Perhaps the words "swift" and "progress" mean something different at the federal government level.

The newest VA ratings show that the Memphis facility has made “small improvements,” but it remains one of the most persistently troubled facilities in the system.

VA records show that Memphis received its low rating because of uncommonly high levels of patient death and medical complications, including bloodstream infections and staph infections.

When it comes to uncommonly high levels of patient death and medical complications, "small improvements" aren't swift enough or big enough.

Perhaps it's time our wounded warriors to take a knee -- and pray for the high-quality health care they all deserve and have earned, and that we all have promised.

As Roe and Kustoff stated in this newspaper a year ago: "The men and women who put on a uniform and fought for this country made a promise to serve; a promise to defend the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. In return, this country made a promise to care for the men and women who have borne the battle and to provide for their families."

Why hasn't the President or Congress done more to "produce rapid improvements" at the Memphis VA Medical Center?

Why aren't all VA medical centers five-star facilities?

Why aren't our military veterans receiving the very best quality health care everywhere from Johnson City to Memphis, from sea to shining sea?

Viewpoint Editor David Waters wrote this editorial on behalf of The Commercial Appeal Editorial Board, which also includes President Mike Jung, Executive Editor Mark Russell, Columnists Tonyaa Weathersbee and Ted Evanoff, and Digital Strategist Dann Miller.